Morgan Rielly’s 5-game suspension upheld by Gary Bettman.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and defenceman Morgan Rielly appealed his recent five-game penalty, which was upheld. He was punished for cross-checking Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig in the face after the latter fired the puck into an empty net from around five feet out. This rapidly became the topic of the NHL, with many fans sharing their thoughts on social media. Well, the Maple Leafs and Rielly filed an appeal with Commissioner Gary Bettman, which is the procedure with his five-game suspension. A player suspended for five games may appeal; however, the suspension is heard by Bettman rather than a private judicator.
The news implies that Reilly will be able to play against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Rielly, Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, and general manager Brad Treliving all believed that Rielly had a strong case for a shorter ban. He is a first-time offender, which should be taken into account; nonetheless, there have been comparable style plays that resulted in players earning less. For example, Blake Lizotte of the Los Angeles Kings received a one-game punishment after cross-checking Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey in the face. However, in this particular case, Bettman decided that Rielly had time to engage Greig in a different way, “e.g. with a push or a shove or even by dropping his gloves to fight.” He stated if he had done differently, “there probably would
Rielly’s early return could have been major news for the Maple Leafs, whose blue line is weak. They recently called up Marshall Rifai from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate owing to William Lagesson’s injury. Having Rielly back a game or two early would have been extremely beneficial on their four-game road trip. Unfortunately, they will have to wait out the entire five-game penalty.
On Monday, February 19, 2024, the Maple Leafs played a mid-day manatee against the St. Louis Blues before continuing their road trip with games against the Arizona Coyotes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Colorado Avalanche. Given the close battle in the Atlantic Division, this could be their longest road trip of the season. With only 28 games remaining, the squad is in third place, seeking to catch the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers.
Rielly has seven goals and 43 points over 50 games. He plans to continue playing as well as he did before his ban.
